MUSIC: David vs. Davy?

Business Wire/Prana MarketingDavid Cassidy and Davy Jones perform Sept. 13 at the St. George Theatre.

A Partridge & a Monkee: Former teen idols talk to AWE before sharing a stage in St. George

Davy Jones, the cuddly Monkee who melted hearts with "Daydream Believer," is now nearly 63. David Cassidy, the studly teen from "Partridge Family," is 58. But sometimes boys will still be boys, even when they're grown men.

Jones seems to be about as mischievous and pugnacious a Brit as you can imagine, popped off more than a few hilarious digs at Cassidy during our phone conversation (for the record, Cassidy was a total gentleman).

Is this the beginnings of a former teen heartthrob throwdown? No need to wait for a reality show showdown: The two actor-singers share a bill Sept. 13 at the historic St. George Theatre. We asked the two -- on separate occasions, thankfully -- a few questions in anticipation of their Staten Island visit.

AWE: After 40 years in the biz, what keeps you inspired?
DAVY JONES: I just want people to view me in a different way. I mean you're not sure when you're going to see friggin' Davy Jones from The Monkees, know what I mean? What's he gonna do, get stars in his eyes and kiss the girl or whatever. I've got an amazing band, some of them have been with me over 25 years. My joy is live performing. David Cassidy better be bloody good, if he's following us. Usually in my show I say, "If you like it, tell you're friends, and if you didn't like it, tell 'em you saw David Cassidy." That's what I normally say, so I'll have to change that line to Mickey Dolenz or something.

AWE: Did the level of fame you reached as a teen take a toll on you?
JONES: I left Hollywood after The Monkees, and when I go back it becomes special to a lot of people, instead of having me around all the time waiting for auditions and this, that and the other. I have a lovely daughter who is a singer -- check her page on MySpace, called Lady and the Lost Boys. Annabel is a great little singer and songwriter, but she's not at all ambitious, and I think that's why I survived -- in spite of myself.

AWE: What can people really expect from Davy Jones live?
JONES: I'm not afraid of saying anything. I make people cringe sometimes. One of the worst things I've ever said -- and my girlfriend said she had to run off the side of the stage it was so bad -- was to this woman who came in late in Vegas the other day. She was rat-faced (Brit slang for very drunk), so I stopped the song and said, "Where the hell have you been? We've already done three songs and you've missed the best material." So she says (slurring his speech), "I waaassin the baaah. I was in the baaah. I had to get a drink." I said, "Oh, I'd like a drink as well. Can I suck your tongue?" But really, I do all The Monkees' songs, "Valerie," "Believer," and I sing a lot of swing stuff, Nat King Cole and so on. It's basically how I feel and what I read in the audience. Now look, The Monkees went to 36 countries around the world, and it was big in Mexico, big in Japan, big in Canada, big in England. The only people who didn't like it were the French, but they don't even like themselves, so what's the point?

AWE: Are you looking forward to sharing the stage with Davy Jones?
DAVID CASSIDY: He's opened for me at two shows over the past couple of years, so I went to see him perform. I was really surprised at how good he is. He really loves what he does now. Not sure how much work he's done outside of The Monkees, but he seems to celebrate it.

AWE: Is this your maiden voyage to S.I.?
CASSIDY: I grew up in and around New York but I have never been to Staten Island. I lived in Brooklyn Heights for a while and I've been a Yankee fan since I was a kid, so I've been to the Bronx about 150,000 times. All boroughs of New York need to be explored, so I look forward to hanging out on Staten Island.

AWE: You're sort of the forefather of the modern teen pop idol. What's your take on the current crop?
CASSIDY: People magazine contacted me during the first season of "American Idol" and asked me to look at last eight contestants. I had never seen the show, but the only person I really thought had star power and real talent was Kelly Clarkson. You can get a remarkable ride for a while but if you haven't got the goods, not many will go on past that initial exposure to millions of people. I'm so tired of contests on TV. I could never see myself competing against other singers, writers, actors, musicians.

AWE: These days superstars are pretty much disposable. How do you account for your longevity?
CASSIDY: In the history of this business, how many people are still out doing it, really having a career 30 years later? It doesn't happen very often. Talent is the only thing that can carry you on. Early on in my career, Elton John and I talked a lot about that. He came to see me in London and said, "I had no idea you could sing and play like that." The reason I'm successful is I can cut it and play live. Every time I strap on my guitar, I'm grateful. I love singing "I Think I Love You." It's one of the best pop songs ever written in my opinion and it will always be associated with me. I've had people from every walk of life -- including Henry Kissinger (laughs) -- come up and start singing it to me.

AWE: It's nice to meet a veteran artist who doesn't trash talk their hits.
CASSIDY: I was away from touring for so long, I never sang any of my own hits for close to 15 years. To go back out in the new millennium and pull out all these great tunes is great. Tom Jones is probably sick of singing "What's New Pussycat" because really all he's ever done is go out and sing. When one part of my career wasn't successful, I wrote and produced shows in Vegas. I wrote and produced television and wrote themes for TV shows. I've been on Broadway three times. I played in West End. It helped me that I was able to have other tools creatively. God knows I've always appreciated that I've never had a job I didn't want to do. Most people in their lives aren't fortunate enough to do that.

AWE: Any plans for a return to Broadway or TV?
CASSIDY: I am planning on doing a TV pilot with my brothers Shaun, Patrick and Ryan. It just got the greenlight. The only way I'd move back to L.A. would be to work with them. It's a great script and they're big talent. To do a comedy with music is something I'd feel comfortable doing (laughs). It's been a long time but it's got a lot of same elements. I think I'm ready again.

BACK TALK: AWE editor Rob Bailey can be reached at bailey@siadvance.com or MySpace.com/readawe.